Alex Dowsett will use the motivation of missing out on a spot in Movistar’s Tour de France squad in a bid to upgrade his Delhi 2010 silver to Glasgow 2014 gold.
The time trial specialist, a three-time British national champion in 2011, 2012 and 2013, will start the event as Team England’s leading contender after Wiggins, who would have been the favourite for gold, chose to focus solely on the track, with the former Tour de France champion claiming silver with Ed Clancy, Steven Burke and Andy Tennant in the men’s team pursuit.
Dowsett told RoadCyclingUK earlier this year that the Tour de France and Commonwealth Games were his two primary targets in 2014, but the Essex-born rider was omitted from the squad that rolled out in Yorkshire in support of Alejandro Valverde after falling ill at the Tour de Suisse.
However, Dowsett has vowed to use that disappointment to spur him on to Commonwealth gold having taken silver behind Scotland’s David Millar, who will defend his title, in India four years ago.
Dowsett already has one time trial victory to his name this season, having won against the clock at the Circuit de la Sarthe in April, and finished third and sixth in the two individual time trials at Tirreno-Adriatico in March. Dowsett’s biggest success, however, came with a stage victory at the 2013 Giro d’Italia and he will be among the favourites to stand on the top step of the podium on Thursday.
